A short-range wireless communication module mounted in a short-range wireless communication apparatus having a short-range wireless communication function is capable of simultaneously connecting a plurality of communication protocols (so called multi-connection), which define data communication, to a short-range wireless communication module of a communication destination apparatus. See JP2008-273370A (US2008/0269961A), JP2009-253601A (US2009-0253466A), and JP-2009-253603A (US2009-0253466A).
In relation to the above, the inventor of the present application has found out the following. In response to a request to connect a communication protocol, the short-range wireless communication module transmits a connection request signal of the communication protocol to a short-range wireless communication module of a communication destination apparatus. Subsequently, if the short-range wireless communication module receives a connection permission response signal of the communication protocol from the short-range wireless communication module of the communication destination apparatus, the short-range wireless communication module initiates, a connection process of the communication protocol (acknowledges the connection request). If the short-range wireless communication module receives a connection rejection response signal of the communication protocol from the short-range wireless communication module of the communication destination apparatus, the short-range wireless communication module does not initiate the connection process of the communication protocol (rejects the connection request).
In some cases, depending on the specifications of the communication destination apparatus and the type of the communication protocol, the following situation may arise. When receiving a connection request signal of a communication protocol, the communication destination apparatus inquires a user about whether the user permits or rejects to connect the communication protocol. In such cases, after the user operation on the communication destination apparatus is performed, the communication destination apparatus can transmit a connection permission response signal or connection rejection response signal of the communication protocol. Therefore, if the user operation on the communication destination apparatus is not performed after the transmission of the connection request signal of the communication protocol, the short-range wireless communication module can receive neither the connection permission response signal of the communication protocol nor the connection rejection response signal of the communication protocol from the short-range wireless communication module of the communication destination apparatus, depending on the specifications for the communication destination apparatus and the type of the communication protocol. Hence, the short-range wireless communication module cannot determine whether or not to initiate the connection process of the communication protocol.
Meanwhile, when the short-range wireless communication module is waiting to receive a connection permission response signal or connection rejection response signal of a first communication protocol from the short-range wireless communication module of the communication destination apparatus after transmitting a connection request signal of a first communication protocol, a connection request of a second communication protocol may be generated. In such a case, since the short-range wireless communication module is waiting (in a state of waiting) to receive the connection permission response signal or connection rejection response signal of the first communication protocol from the short-range wireless communication module of the communication destination apparatus, the short-range wireless communication module cannot transmit a connection request signal of the requested second communication protocol to the short-range wireless communication module of the communication destination apparatus. As a result, the short-range wireless communication module cannot immediately initiate a connection process for the second communication protocol. Consequently, it becomes impossible to meet a user's request, to promptly use a function offered by the second communication protocol.